I keep a vague, poorly updated mental file of “beers I remember someone trustworthy saying something good about once.” There are rarely details, just half-remembered snippets of a name, or maybe a flash of label.

For all its poor record-keeping, it’s a surprisingly reliable guide. It operates largely autonomously, like a subroutine constantly running behind my conscious beer-purchasing-decision matrix. Recently, it kicked in while I was walking through my local HEB.

My kids have gotten used to my “scans” of the beer department, though they always groan as we turn that corner. “Do we have to scan?” they whine, preferring to keep it moving over to the bakery, where they try to spoil their dinner with tortilla samples. Even if I’m not looking to buy anything, I make a quick pass through, just to see what jumps out at me.

The Montrose store keeps pretty good stock, updated pretty regularly, and I’m always interested in something new or, well, interesting. Sometimes, they’ll stash the cool stuff almost haphazardly along the top of a wine case at the end of the section, just slightly off the beaten path for those peering in the coolers for their perennial favorites. As my eyes flitted over the handful of bottles lingering there, the subroutine clicked. A few North Coast bottles, corked and caged, had triggered something deep in the visual database: Old Stock Cellar Reserve 2013 and Barrel Aged Old Rasputin.

Sure, I’ve had various North Coast beers over the years, including the base beers behind both of these barrel-aged offerings, but I’d never had either of these versions. I trust the subroutine, though, and quickly stashed one of each in the cart, moving on to the bakery section and the “samples aren’t dinner” mantra required by my kids’ love of bread and lack of moderation. I’ve since opened the Old Stock, and even went back to grab a second. Here’s why.

North Coast Bourbon Barrel Aged Old Stock Cellar Reserve 2013

The beer pours a light burnt orange at the top, fading to fudgy brown toward the bottom of the glass. It’s just a bit hazy with a thin slip of cappuccino-tinged foam fading lazily into a broad ring and a skim on the surface.

The nose is all burnt caramel and dried plums. Vanilla and oak. Just a whiff of alcohol. It’s rich and round. A dark roasted and vaguely caramel-sweet note of coffee candy, like the Coffee Nips of which my mother-in-law is so fond. Just a hint of banana whispers in the background with some very mild tropical fruit buried in there to boot. It’s beguiling. Deep and rich, but also surprisingly spry.

The first sip comes on much lighter than expected, given all those deep dark aromas. It’s almost graceful. Some bourbon barrel aged beers come across almost lethargic, thick and syrupy in flavor and in texture. This one is surprisingly delicate, in a way, yet with considerable depth.

The coffee hard candies come back into focus quickly, augmented by toffee, vanilla and burnt caramel. A slight kola note follows. It’s nutty and rich. I didn’t put it together until my wife mentioned it, stealing a sip and grinning broadly: There are definite notes of pecan pie. Dried dark fruits, still retaining a bright note of their fresh character, follows after.

As it warms, a surprising but welcome tone of rich orange liqueur surfaces, if slightly. Though it may not sound like it, it’s actually quite dry, all things considered. Everything is in balance, which is rarely something I can say about such beers. The bourbon barrel element is strong, but balanced against the base beer, well integrated with the other components.

This isn’t the best bourbon barrel aged beer I’ve had, but it’s definitely one of the best. It never feels heavy or overbearing. You can tell it’s big, but it doesn’t throw its weight around. As far as BBA beers go, this is one is downright “crushable.” Given its high ABV (13.16%), this is both a pleasure and a peril. Enjoy it, but be cautious.

As I said, I liked this one well enough to go back for a second. Despite the current popularity of barrel aged beers, they all too often fall flat – overly sweet, overly dominated by barrel character, flabby and boring. This isn’t one of those beers. It’s deep, rich, bold, subtle, bright, lively, bourbon-laced but not dominated by booze. It is, simply, delicious.

The subroutine worked this time. I expect it worked with that other North Coast bottle I mentioned, as well. I’ll let you know soon. In the meantime, I’m going to make another scan of the beer section and see what else jumps out of the mental file.